In British rock’n’roll terms, if Cliff was a watered-down Elvis then Vince Taylor was an equally troubled and rebellious Gene Vincent. Beloved by The Clash (who covered Brand New Cadillac) and David Bowie (who used him as an inspiration for Ziggy Stardust), he was clearly too much of an outsider to be completely taken to the nation’s heart.
Parlophone released his early singles, including Brand New Cadillac, but he proved to be too volatile and wayward for such an establishment set-up, and Taylor’s best work was arguably recorded for France’s Barclay label in the early 60s. He brought a sleazy menace to Little Walter’s My Babe and several Eddie Cochran cuts, but was less at home with pop fluff such as Move Over Tiger.
This compilation brings together 22 of his most notable recordings, from a rockabilly shuffle version of Frankie Laine’s Jezebel to a curious jazz reworking of the traditional folk ballad Cold White & Beautiful. The moody poses and fast-lane lifestyle may have made Taylor a perennial cult hero, but his unpolished and electrifying musical output warrants just as much attention.
